Snow expected to fall in Stoddard County throughout the night

With a substantial amount of sleet and freezing rain already on the ground in Stoddard County, officials are expecting more in the overnight hours.

The National Weather Service office in Paducah, Ky. is showing sleet totals from 1" to 1.5" within Stoddard County as of 7 p.m. Sunday.

In addition, between four and eight inches of snow could fall between Sunday evening and Monday morning on top of the ice. As of 7:35 p.m., precipitation continues to fall as sleet with mixed freezing rain.

Temperatures are expected to fall to approximately 10 degrees overnight, with wind gusts ranging from 23-35 mph throughout the storm. That puts potential wind chill temperatures in the vicinity of -9 degrees.

Temperatures in Stoddard County are not expected to pass the freezing point until Wednesday when a 37-degree high is forecast.

Dangerous travel conditions have led to the closing of all Stoddard County schools for Monday, March 3.

The Daily Statesman office will also be closed on Monday morning, however reporters will still be working to get out the latest information as it becomes available.

The Missouri Department of Transportation is urging individuals to make every attempt to avoid travel.

"MoDOT crews will work throughout the night to keep roads plowed and treated," said Beth Wright, MoDOT state maintenance engineer. "We encourage people to stay tuned to local weather forecasts, check road conditions on MoDOT's traveler map, and avoid travel if possible."

If you must travel, take your mobile phone and winter survival supplies. If you become stranded, stay with your vehicle and call 911. Be aware that emergency responders may have difficulty reaching you.

MoDOT on Saturday issued a "no travel advisory" through Sunday. Missouri State Highway Patrol public information officer Clark Parrott said he can't stress enough that if people don't need to be out, they should stay home.

From noon to 3 p.m. Sunday, Parrott said there were 26 accidents with one injury reported. Earlier Sunday, he said the highway patrol had worked numerous slide-offs. He reported earlier that a highway patrol car was hit on Interstate 55 in the Miner, Mo., area. The driver of the car that hit the cruiser had a minor injury, he said.

Regional power companies are also bracing for the worst with both Ameren Missouri and the SEMO Electric Cooperative have opened emergency operations centers within the region.

SEMO Electric Cooperative reported via Facebook that the group continues to monitor the weather situation. Linemen and other essential employees remain on alert as the storms continue.

Ameren Missouri moved approximately 120 workers and resources Saturday, including three storm supply trailers and a Mobile Command Center, into the southeast Missouri area - staging in Cape Girardeau, the Sikeston/Dexter area, and Hayti to assist crews already stationed in the southeast. The company's state-of-the-art Quantum Weather forecasting predicts that area could be hit hardest by ice.

"Safety is the top priority for our customers and our workers," said Michael Moehn, senior vice president, Ameren Missouri Customer Operations. "We know the critical role electricity plays in our customers' lives. Our crews are moving into position to quickly and safely serve our customers, should there be power outages from this storm."

For more information on the winter weather, follow @DailyStatesman on Twitter and check us out on Facebook.

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